View full sizeFrank Ordoñez / The Post-StandardSyracuse University's Fab Melo (left) and Dion Waiters celebrate with a minute left in the Orange's final regular-season game against Louisville at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on Saturday. SU beat the Cardinals 58-49 to finish the season with 30-1, the best record in school history.

Syracuse's Fab Melo has been named the Big East's Defensive Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s coaches.

The Big East also announced that Syracuse guard Dion Waiters received the Big East's Sixth Man Award.

Notre Dame junior forward Jack Cooley was named the Most Improved Player, while Georgetown's Jason Clark has been named the winner of the conference's Sportsmanship Award.

Melo, a 7-foot sophomore, led the Big East in blocked shots in league play with a 3.7 average. He also averaged 6.1 rebounds. He is the second straight Defensive Player of the Year winner from Syracuse. Rick Jackson was the 2010-11 honoree.

Despite not starting a single game this season, Waiters is Syracuse's second-leading scorer, averaging 11.9 points. He also led the Orange in steals with a 1.9 average.

Current SU senior Kris Joseph won the Sixth Man award in 2009-10.

The Big East will announce the winners of its four remaining individual honors –Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year – on Tuesday prior to the start of the evening session of the Big East Tournament.